Utica GEAR UP

A letter from the Director

Utica GEAR UP is excited about our partnership with the Utica CitySchool District, a partnership in its 4th year. Exciting things will behappening at Proctor High School and the MVCC campus this year. Weespecially look forward to working again with the GEAR UP studentsand families.

The heart of Utica GEAR UP lies in the partnerships that havebeen developed since 2011. These partnerships allow theprogram to provide a wide range of opportunities to GEAR UPstudents and their parents/guardians. Our collaboration withMVCC’s Adult Learner Services is one new exciting example ofhow we are reaching out to GEAR UP families.

Research suggests that when parents continue their education,students follow in their footsteps. “The home environmentbecomes richer; it’s more cognitively stimulating, and it helpschildren learn,” said Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, a professor ofHuman Development and Social Policy at NorthwesternUniversity. A report by Katherine Magnuson of the University ofWisconsin found that when mothers went back to school, theirchildren were less likely to drop out of high school or to becometeen parents.

In the spirit of this evidence, Utica GEAR UP, along with MVCC’sAdult Learner Services, will be reaching out to GEAR UP parentsand guardians about the possibilities of going to college. Whetherit may be taking just one class or pursuing an MVCC certificate ordegree program, multiple possibilities exist to enter, or to reenter,the educational pipeline. There is no better way to instill alove of learning than when everyone in the household is engagedin the learning process.